Linklaters romped past the finish line in the number one spot for Law Firm of the Year, securing the backing of 72% of clients who voted.

The firm had an outstanding 12 months between June 2006 and June 2007, as evidenced by a 26% growth in turnover to $2.1bn (€1.4bn) and a 30% rise in the average profit per partner to $2.2m.

Praised by one investment banking client for its “outstanding dedication to the IPO process”, Linklaters’ securities practice won plaudits from the capital markets community. Another banker said: “The firm has consistently been the best team year after year, with a perfect combination of legal and commercial acumen.”

The firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice has also been firing on all cylinders. Linklaters was named the leading legal adviser on European, UK and Asian M&A deals last year, according to data provider Thomson Financial.

The firm worked on the high-profile demerger of UK retail group GUS into two new FTSE 100 companies.

Splitting the company into the Experian Group, with a market capitalisation of £6bn (€8.5bn), and the Home Retail Group, with a market cap of £3.5bn, required extensive cross-border reorganisation and an innovative court-based process.

Experian was incorporated in Jersey with its headquarters in Ireland, in the first demerger that involved a new entity being incorporated and tax resident in different jurisdictions.

Linklaters this year worked with the Royal Bank of Scotland on its €71.1bn ($105bn) takeover of ABN Amro, which involved the largest tier 1 capital financing package, and advised on three out of four Spanish IPOs in the first half of the year.

LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR (Score, % of vote)
Linklaters3.571.8%
Allen & Overy3.366.9%
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer3.265.4%